Interview with Geert Hendriks, director of contractor Hanab Distribution
Over the next 10 years, Enexis will lay more than 20,000 kilometres of medium-voltage cable and build 800 new distribution substations. This is a massive undertaking, which we will tackle together with our contractors. To achieve this, we have developed an innovative approach with Hanab Distribution: the low-voltage and medium-voltage production lines.
Contractor Hanab Distribution has been working with Enexis in the north and south of the Netherlands for decades. ‘For a long time, we handled relatively small, manageable jobs,’ says director Geert Hendriks. ‘We mainly connected consumers to the gas and electricity grid. Initially, we thought the energy transition would reduce our work package, as households moved away from using gas. But we quickly realised that grid operators urgently need us to expand and upgrade the electricity grid.’
Standardising work
Enexis cannot manage this enormous task alone and is outsourcing more and more work to contractors. ‘To meet the challenge, we developed a new way of working together: the low-voltage and medium-voltage production lines,’ says Hendriks. ‘By standardising our processes, we make planning more efficient and shorten lead times.’
Thanks to a standardised approach, we can upgrade low-voltage networks across an entire neighbourhood in one go, minimising disruption for residents.
Rolling out the neighbourhood approach
Hanab Distribution is also involved in Enexis' neighbourhood approach. Enexis and its contractors are replacing outdated transformer houses to meet the growing demand for electricity. These play an important role in the grid, distributing electricity from distribution substations to households. ‘Thanks to our standardised method, we can upgrade the low-voltage networks in a neighbourhood in one go, minimising disruption for residents. We plan to roll out the neighbourhood approach on a large scale in 2025,’ says Hendriks. ‘It’s exciting and rewarding to innovate the industry with our customers.’
Recruiting talent together
Working with Enexis has had a significant impact on Hanab Distribution. To handle the increased workload, the contractor is expanding its workforce with skilled labour, adapting work processes and digitalising where possible. To avoid competing for the same professionals, Enexis and Hanab have been recruiting together through Talent Infra since 2024. ‘We look for talent both in the Netherlands and across Europe,’ says Hendriks. ‘Our environmental managers come from the regions where we’re carrying out the project. Their local knowledge is invaluable. We also invest heavily in bringing together different cultures. That’s how we create strong teams.’
The new dynamic is energising, according to Hendriks. ‘Enexis gives us a lot of freedom to innovate. The only condition is that our way of working is scalable and that we maintain high quality and safety standards. But growing fast comes with its challenges, and we’re certainly experiencing some growing pains. Luckily, we have good discussions about this.’
Making a difference
Looking ahead, the contractor will remain closely involved with Enexis in the coming years, says Hendriks. ‘There will be plenty of challenges, but the work itself is gratifying. We are proud to be making a real difference as part of the energy transition.’